Saudi Arabia: Hariri’s electoral losses leave Lebanese conundrum

The Lebanese elections of 6 May – the first in the country since 2009 – has left the Sunni incumbent prime minister Saad Hariri with a much-reduced position in the Parliament of Lebanon (Majlis Al-Nuwwab or Chambre des Députés). Hariri lost 12 MPs to reduce his Future (Mustaqbal) Movement to a rump of 21 representatives in the 128-seat legislature. While Hariri is likely to remain prime minister, the shedding of about one-third of his deputies (MPs) reflects his diminished standing in Lebanon.